Announcer: It is the best-selling book in history. No volume ever written has been more loved and quoted, and its words, sometimes simple and sometimes mysterious, should always be studied carefully. It is the Bible, the Word of God. Welcome to "Bible Answers Live," providing accurate and practical answers to all your Bible questions. This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this broadcast, call 800-835-6747. Once again, that's 800-835-6747. Now here's your host from Amazing Facts International, Pastor Doug Batchelor.
Doug Batchelor: Hi, friends. Would you like to hear an amazing fact? A used book typically costs less than a new one. That's, of course, unless the book is written by Leonardo da Vinci and is the only one in existence. In 1994, Microsoft creator Bill Gates purchased the Codex Leicester, a 72-page leatherbound notebook written by the Renaissance genius at Christie's Auction House for $30.8 million. Adjusted for inflation, today, that would be about $54.4 million, making it the most expensive book in the world. Created in 1510, the Codex Leicester contains a broad spectrum of da Vinci's scientific observations, theories, and drawings of things like the movement of water, astronomy, and why fossils of sea creatures can be found on mountains. Incredibly, da Vinci wrote the whole book in mirror writing, or in other words, everything was deliberately written backwards, so it can only be easily read with a mirror. You know, when I first saw this, Pastor Ross, online, I thought, "Well, they posted this backwards." And I took my Photoshop copy, and I flipped it around when I used it in a sermon illustration. Now I realize that's how it was written, backwards. You know, the Bible tells us that there's another priceless book that can only be written with special assistance--or only read, I should say, with special assistance.
Jëan Ross: That's right, Pastor Doug. And, of course, we're talking about the Bible and talking about expensive manuscripts, doubtless, probably the most costly manuscript available would be the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Doug: Yeah, priceless.
Jëan: There's a whole building built around that. So, of course, the Bible is right up there with very important documents. But when you say there's a special book that needs help in order to understand it, well, when we study the Bible, we need the help of the Holy Spirit. Doug: Yeah, it tells us that holy men spoke, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. So, if the author is the Holy Spirit, certainly, the Holy Spirit can help us understand it. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:14, "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they're foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. And you can read where Jesus said in John 16:13, "However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." So, this reminds us that when we open our Bibles to study, and when we open a program like this to do our best to answer questions, it's the Holy Spirit that really gives us wisdom and understanding.
Jëan: Mm-hm, the Bible speaks of needing the Holy Spirit to guide us, and it's always good to start with prayer, so let's do that, Pastor Doug. Dear Father, we are so grateful for the opportunity that we have once again to be able to open your Word and study. We recognize this as a special book, divinely inspired, and we ask for the Holy Spirit to guide us here in the studio, be with those who are listening, and lead us into a clearer understanding of Bible truth. For we ask this in Jesus's name, amen.
Doug: Amen.
Jëan: We do have a study guide, friends, that talk about the Bible. How can you understand the Bible, and how the Holy Spirit can reveal truth to you. It's called, "Is There Anything Left You Can Trust?" One of the Amazing Facts study guides--if you'd like to receive it, the number to call is 800-835-6747. You'll see that number on your screen, if you're watching, or you can just simply dial #250 with your smartphone, if you're here in North America. Say "Bible Answers Live," and then ask for that free offer, "Is There Anything Left You Can Trust?" We'll be happy to send that to anyone here in North America, in the US. And if you're outside of North America, just go to the Amazing Facts website, amazingfacts.org, and you'll be able to learn more at the website. Well, Pastor Doug, I think we're ready to go to the phone lines. This is a live program, friends, so if you have a Bible question, the phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297. That'll bring your call into "Bible Answers Live." The first caller that we have is Jerry, listening in Texas. Jerry, you're on the air.
Jerry: When man walked the earth with dinosaurs, the Bible mentions such huge creatures in the book of Psalms 104:26. My question is, were the leviathans, dinosaurs, and venomous snakes a result of amalgamation of nature?
Doug: All right, well, the Bible does speak of a couple of mysterious beasts. One is the leviathan, and the other is the behemoth. And I think that the behemoth, some people have associated that with something that was some dinosaur-like creature, because it talks about this huge beast. And you might think, well, was that a rhino or an elephant? But then it says its tail is like a cedar tree. Well, that creates a different description anatomically that would not fit with an elephant or a rhino or something with little tails. And so, but many dinosaurs, based on the paleontology, had very big tails. So, some have wondered is it describing some brontosaurus-like mighty beast, and it very well may be. Were they created by amalgamation? Now, for friends listening, amalgamation is sort of when you cross breed, you mix or amalgamate two different species to try to make something else that could end up becoming monstrous. And, you know, there's nothing in the Bible that tells us that dinosaurs are the product of amalgamation. Did people back in ancient times seek to cross breed and amalgamate? I'm talking about within species. Yeah. One reason I say that is Goliath, it tells us, you know, he had some brothers and sons. One of them had 24 digits, meaning he had 6 fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, and doctors tell us that often comes from inbreeding. And it could be the Philistines were saying, "Let's breed an army of giants." And, you know, Adolf Hitler was trying to do that, get a super race. A pit bull, you might say, is something of an amalgamation. It's the very selective breeding of a dog, and they originally bred to fight in pits. That's where they get their name. So, were they breeding dinosaurs to get these reptiles? It doesn't say in the Bible. Were there dinosaurs that lived contemporaneous with humans? Yes.
Jëan: And then, of course, the flood has something to do with it.
Doug: Yeah.
Jëan: That's why we've got all the remains that we can find in the earth of these massive dinosaurs.
Doug: Yes.
Jëan: All right, thank you for your call. We've got Gary.
Doug: Jerry, you know Amazing Facts--pardon me, Pastor Ross. We have a book--it's actually a comic book--when I say comic book, it's illustrated, so we call it a comic book, but it's actually pretty informative, and it's about dinosaurs. And did they live in ancient times? By Jim Pinkoski. And he can go to the bookstore, and he'll find a copy of that.
Jëan: Okay, we've got Gary listening in Illinois. Gary, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."
Gary: My question is about Revelation 12:17. It says, "who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." And so am I right to assume that the commandments aren't the only thing that we're given to do, but the testimony would mean to give witness about Jesus and why he's our salvation, that we're called not just to keep command, but according to Revelation 12:17 also be a witness?
Doug: You know, that's a great question. You're very wise to see that there are two distinct things that are mentioned there. It talks about the commandments, or the law, and then the testimony. Through the Bible, the Word of God is often called the Law and the Prophets. The last thing you find in the Old Testament is there Malachi chapter 4 says, "Remember the law of Moses. Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet." And, of course, Moses and Elijah appear to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, showing that the law and the prophets endorse Jesus. If you look in Isaiah chapter 8, for example, it says in verse 16, "Bind up the testimony," there's the same word that you find in Revelation. "Seal the law," that'd be the commandments, "among my disciples." So, two characteristics of God's people in the last days is that they have the law, they've got the Word of God, and they've got the testimony. If you look in Revelation--is it 19--verse 10 says that "The testimony of Jesus," and here's where you let the Bible interpret the Bible, Gary. "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." So, God's people will be keeping the commandments, and they'll have the gifts of the Spirit, even the modern manifestation of the gift of prophecy. So, I think there's one more verse in Isaiah chapter 8, go to verse 20, yeah. "To the law and to the testimony," there you've got it, the commandments of God and the testimony. "If they do not speak according to this Word, there is no light in them." That means if they don't support the law and the prophets, don't believe them.
Jëan: And, you know, there's another verse that we have at the beginning Revelation. Revelation chapter 1, it's talking about John, who wrote the book of Revelation. He says, "He bore witness of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw." So, John had the spirit of prophecy. He was a prophet, and having that gift of prophecy, as we refer to in scripture as the testimony of Jesus. So, you can put those two together, as well.
Doug: Thanks, Gary, I hope that helps. By the way, we do have a book called, "The Glorious Mount." It talks about the law, and the prophets, and Moses, and Elijah.
Jëan: If you'd like to receive the book, all you have to do is call 800-835-6747. You can ask for "The Glorious Mount." That's the name of the book. We'll be happy to send it to anyone here in North America. And you could also use your cell phone, just by simply dialing #250. Say "Bible Answers Live," and ask for the book, "The Glorious Mount." Next caller that we have is Debbie listening in Canada. Debbie, welcome to the program.
Debbie: Hi, pastors. How are you doing?
Doug: Great, thanks for calling.
Debbie: Okay, I have a question about the Sabbath. I am talking to a friend of mine about it, and he uses Colossians 2:15 and says that we no longer have to keep the Sabbath, because Jesus is our Sabbath.
Doug: Yeah, you know, I think it's interesting that people only use Colossians 2 chapter 13 through 16 when they learn the Sabbath truth. They never preach that in Sunday churches and tell people, "You know, you don't need to come to church anymore, because you don't have to observe any kind of day of rest." You know, they never use it that way. But what is Paul talking about? Let's read it. We don't have to be afraid of any of these verses. In Colossians chapter 2--and I'm going to start with verse 13. "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him." Now, he's speaking--when he says the uncircumcision of your flesh, he's obviously talking to the Colossians who are not Jews. And so, they're being told they have to keep the Jewish laws, and Paul is reassuring them they don't. So, let's know who he's talking to. "Being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven all your trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross, having disarmed principalities and powers, making a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
So," here's a key verse, "let no one judge you in food or drink, or in regard to a festival or a new moon or sabbaths," that's plural, "sabbaths, which are--" What kind of sabbaths? The sentence isn't done yet. "Don't let them judge you regarding sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come." The Jews had a lot of annual sabbaths that came on a yearly basis. They were all nailed to the cross. They were part of the ceremonial law. It had nothing to do with the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are not nailed to the cross. The Ten Commandments and the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments was given at creation to all humanity. Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man. That means anthropos. That's everybody. And so--and, you know, the Sabbath was part of God's perfect creation. It didn't come because of sin. It was before sin. The ceremonial sabbath came to Moses after sin. They're nailed to the cross. And furthermore, it says the handwriting--it says that these laws were written by the hand of Moses, not the finger of God, and that was against us. The Bible says Moses took the ceremonial law, put it in a pocket outside the ark, that it might be a witness against them. He's very clearly talking about these ceremonials laws that the Gentile Christians don't need to keep. He's not saying that Christians no longer need a day of rest or to observe God's holy day. So, we've got--I know I said too much, probably--but we've got a book on that we can offer, probably several.
Jëan: Yeah, I'm thinking of the one called "Feast Days and Sabbaths."
Doug: Sure, that would good.
Jëan: That will explain it even further. If you're looking for a verse, just real quick, to back up what Pastor Doug is saying, if you go to Leviticus chapter 23, and you'll find a list of all of the various feast days that the Jews are commanded to observe. And, for example, if you look in verse 24, it talks about the Feast of Trumpets, and there it tells us that they were to keep the first day of the month, so that could be any day of the week, with the first day of the month, they were to keep it as a sabbath rest. So, they're saying requirements around the seventh day Sabbath also were the same requirements around these feast days, that they were also to observe, but it could come on any day of the week. It could be a Monday, a Wednesday. It could be a Friday. But they were to observe those days, also, as a day of rest. It was a holy convocation. So, when Paul was talking about, "Let no one judge you in the sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come," he's talking about these feast days, not the seventh day Sabbath. Now, of course, the book will go into more detail and give you a lot more verses. If you'd like to receive it, the number to call is 800-835-6747, and you can ask for the book. It's called "Feast Days and Sabbaths." And we'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. You can dial #250 on your phone and also ask "Bible Answers Live," and then ask for that gift. It's called "Feast Days and Sabbaths." It's just a great study on that passage of scripture. Thank you, Debbie. Our next caller is Marvin, listening in Tennessee. Marvin, welcome to the program.
Marvin: Yes, good evening to both of you. Pastor Doug, I called a couple of weeks ago, and my question is, what happens when we go to heaven, if we have been married, say, two times? I lost my wife, Rita, and I'm now remarried. When we get to heaven, will I be with either one, or will we just be all separate?
Doug: Well, I'd ask, which one do you like more? Just kidding.
Jëan: Don't answer that, Marvin.
Doug: So, let me give you--that very question comes up in the Bible. If you look in Matthew chapter 22, the religious leaders, the Sadducees, came to Jesus with a question, and they're asking Him, they said, "Now, there were seven brothers that married this woman." And this is Matthew chapter--where is that? Chapter 22, verse 25. "There were seven brothers, and the first died after he had married a woman, had no children, he left his wife to his brother. Likewise the second also married and died, and the third, all the way up to the seventh. Last of all the woman died. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? And Jesus said, 'You are mistaken.'" This is verse 29. "You're mistaken, not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are they given in marriage, but are like the angels of God, angels in heaven." And so he says that, you know, ultimately, when two people get to heaven, we're all married to the Lord. We will not be having new babies in heaven. Jesus told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and fill the earth. The earth is going to be populated with the redeemed. So, now, does that mean that when Adam and Eve get to heaven, God gives them divorce papers? Not necessarily. I think in the case where there's been one man, one woman, best friends, married on earth, when they get to heaven, they'll still have that intimate relationship, and they'll maybe dwell together. But in the case where you have King David, or Solomon, or Jacob with many wives, we're all ultimately married to the Lord in heaven. And so relationships are a little different there. Thanks, Marvin, good question, and I hope that helps a little.
Jëan: All right, we've got Michael listening in--actually Brittany, Brittany listening in California. Brittany, welcome to the program.
Brittany: Hey.
Doug: Hi. And your question?
Brittany: Yeah, my question is according to the Bible, what is the right biblical view to have during these times with the school shootings and a corrupt government, especially since we're in the final times?
Doug: Well, what's the right biblical view? You know, the Bible tells us, Brittany, that in the last days, evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24--and I forget, Pastor Ross, what verse. He said that "Because iniquity will abound, the love of many will grow cold." And, personally, I'm always a little discouraged when there's one of these calamities and these school shootings, and the pundits get on television, and they say, "Well, we need more counseling for people, and we need better controls, and we need more police officers guarding the schools." And why didn't we need that when I was growing up? Everybody had a gun back then. I don't think that was the issue. I think the issue is that people were taught that life is sacred, and you do not take human life. And if you stop telling young people that it's wrong to murder, and if you entertain them with games where they practice murdering indiscriminately--you know, they've got games like Grand Theft Auto. And, no, friends, I've never played it, but I've heard of it, seen it, seen the videos of it. It's all about shooting, mass shooting. And if you program kids this way, and they grow up with very little regard for the value of life, that's what Jesus said, "Love will grow cold. Iniquity will abound."
Jëan: And that verse you're referring to is Matthew 24, verse 12. It's about the love of many growing cold. And, of course, the Bible says, "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be when the Son of Man is revealed." And then it says, "In the days of Noah, every imagination of the heart was evil continually, and the earth was filled with violence." Of course, we can see that happening today in our world. All right, thank you, Brittany. We've got Michael listening in Alabama. Michael, you're on the air.
Michael: Good evening. I really--it's a real privilege to be able to talk to you for the very--ask you a question--for the very first time. I'll try to make this as concise as I can, but I can't--let me preface beforehand--I can't promise that I'll be as successful as the other callers, because I've got a very rare birth autism, called Asperger Syndrome. One of the reasons--one of the symptoms is that it's difficult for us to communicate with other people, verbally.
Doug: All right, well, I understand that. I've got friends that struggle with the same thing. So, do your best to quickly frame the question.
Michael: Okay, it's about two verses, two passages in 1 Corinthians and in 1 Thessalonians. Would it be okay if I--since you all typically read out these passages, may I read them?
Doug: Sure.
Michael: So, that's--I usually hear King James on your program.
Doug: 1 Corinthians, which chapter?
Michael: Oh, I'm sorry. 15th chapter, and it's 51st verse.
Doug: Okay.
Michael: "That flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Listen, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed," and, of course, the very familiar, "in a flash, in the twinkling of the eye, at the last trumpet." And then in 1 Thessalonians, it's chapter 4, and it's the 3rd verse, but also the-- oh, my mistake--13th verse and verse 15. "Brothers, we don't want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep or to be like the rest of men who have no hope. Fifteenth verse says, "According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep." All this is the New International Version. I heard that Amazing Facts--I think that's your parent company--teaches soul sleep and that you all got it from a well-meaning prophetess of the 1800s, Ethel White-- or Ellen White. That's her name. I'm terrified of the doctrine of soul sleep, because I'm already concerned about losing my salvation anyway. To know that this will be a period when God will decide, "Hm, should I let this Christian go to heaven or lose his salvation, eternally go to Hades?" And that it's based on works. That's really—
Doug: Michael, let me jump in. Why would sleeping--Jesus said, "Our friend, Lazarus, is asleep." Why would God change His mind while people were asleep? If people die saved, they're saved. If they die lost, they're lost. Why would waiting in the grave until the resurrection-- by the way, this has nothing to do with a prophet. It has to do with the Bible. Everything we believe is based on the Bible, and we'll give you scripture for it. So, when Paul says, "Those that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake," in 1 Corinthians--I'm sorry, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, that's what the Bible says. So, but why would that make you nervous, the idea that a person would rest in the grave? Because you have no consciousness of time when you're dead.
Michael: Does that mean that we shall not--immediately after we die, we shall not be in either one place or the other?
Doug: As soon as you die--let's assume you're saved--when you die, your next conscious thought that is going to be immediate is the resurrection. So, for everybody that dies--that's why it says, "Absent from the body, present with the Lord." When you die, the next thing you know, the Lord descends, the trumpet blows, you come out of your grave with a glorified body. There's no time for you. But we know the resurrection hasn't happened, yet, because that's future. The Bible is clear that the dead in Christ will rise at Christ's coming. Jesus said, "Our friend, Lazarus, sleeps, but I go that I might wake him." Lazarus had been dead for four days in the grave. He wasn't up in heaven. That'd be terrible to take him back out of heaven, put him back on earth in an old body. So, all through the Bible, this is a very old Bible teaching. This is not something that is recent. And, yeah, the Bible says that the dead sleep until the resurrection. So, we have a book on that we'd be happy to share.
Jëan: We do. If you'd like to call and ask for that, we'll be happy to send it to you, Michael, or anyone wanting to hear, what does the Bible say about what happens when a person dies? The number to call is 800-836-6747. You can ask for the study guide. It's called, "Are the Dead Really Dead?" We'll be happy to send it to anyone in North America. You can also just dial #250 on your smartphone and say, "Bible Answers Live," and then ask for that study guide by name, "Are the Dead Really Dead?" And we'll be happy to send it to you. Thank you, Michael. Next caller, that we have is Anthony, New York. Anthony, you're on "Bible Answers Live."
Anthony: Hello and good evening, pastors.
Doug: Evening.
Anthony: I--could you please explain 1 John chapter 2, verses 7 through 8? I know the Bible does not contradict itself, but it kind of sounds like a little double talk, but I know that's not the case.
Doug: Well, let me read that for everyone, and this is 1 John chapter 2, verse 7 and 8, correct?
Anthony: Yes.
Doug: "Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the Word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining." So, you're saying, in one verse, it sounds like he says, "I don't have a new commandment." The next verse, he says, "I do."
Anthony: Yes.
Doug: Okay. Well, when he first is speaking, he's saying, "I'm not taking away the original commandments that you heard." The Ten Commandments are, you know, specified there in Exodus 20 and in Deuteronomy 5. He says, "That still stands." He says, "I'm not taking those away." And it's when he says, "I don't write no new commandment," meaning that he's not deleting those. But he said, "A new commandment I give you," and he's quoting Jesus now, where Jesus said, "A new commandment I give you, that you love the Lord and love your neighbor." The two new commandments that Jesus gave are a summary of the ten. So, it's not really an addition. You can summarize the first four commandments in love for God, and you can summarize the last six commandments in love for your fellow man. So, he's using a little bit of allegorical or maybe poetic language, I should say. But--and, you know, I don't want to make things more complicated, but you'll find similar contradictions where Solomon says, "Answer a fool according to his folly, or he'll think he's right. Don't answer a fool according to his folly, or you're going to sound like him." And you think, "Which is it, Solomon? Do I answer the fool or do I not answer the fool?" He's basically saying that "When you argue with a fool, you're going to lose either way." So, John here is saying, "I'm not adding to the Bible." The scriptures, the commandments are still in place, but Jesus came to expand and magnify that law of love.
Don't go away, friends. We're going to take a brief break, and we're going to come back and answer more Bible questions. The best is yet to come. Stay tuned for these important announcements.
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Announcer: This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions on the air, please call us next Sunday between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Pacific time. To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this evening's program, call 800-835-6747. Once again, that's 800-835-6747. Now let's rejoin our hosts for more "Bible Answers Live."
Doug: Welcome back, listening friends, to "Bible Answers Live." And for those who have joined us en route, this is a live international interactive Bible study. We'd like you to participate, as our friends around the country and the world call in with their Bible questions. You can also even text in questions. We usually take two minutes at the end of the program to answer questions that people have emailed in to us, and we're playing this on Facebook now. It's the Doug Batchelor Facebook page, the Amazing Facts Facebook page, on the Amazing Facts YouTube Channel, on Good News Television. We're now on Hope Channel. Some of these are reruns during the week. Strong Tower Radio. We just heard, today, about some friends from Strong Tower Radio. So, all across the country. And my name is Doug Batchelor.
Jëan: My name is Jëan Ross, and as mentioned by Pastor Doug, if you'd like to send us an email question, I'm going to tell you what the email address is. Just simply BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. Email your Bible question, and we'll try to answer as many of those questions that get emailed during our program. All right, going to the phone lines. Our next caller that we have is Joe, and he's listening from Arizona. Joe, welcome to the program.
Joe: How are you guys doing?
Doug: Doing great.
Joe: Hey, my question tonight is I know the Bible, you know, talks about us being sojourners, and Jesus talks about knowing us before we were here. Is it possible that we were the heavens--the angels--like--or the angels in heaven that got kicked out for going with Lucifer? And earth is a place where we're trying to get redeemed from sinning? Because even Jesus, when they were going to get him for saying He was God, when He called Himself the Son of God, He said, "I have said ye are gods, but you must die like men."
Doug: Yeah, okay, let's dive in there. First of all, I think the Bible is pretty clear that angels and humans are different creatures. And when Christ says, you know, He knows us from everlasting, that's because God's all-knowing. But the Bible is also pretty clear that there was a time when our existence began, and that is at birth. He talks to Jeremiah and talks about when he was born, and David refers to when he was born. And when you really think about it, if you don't remember an iota of a prior existence, then it's really not you existing. You don't know anything about--I used to believe in reincarnation, and I struggled with this thinking, what good is this reincarnation business? If I don't remember anything from a former life, how's that helping me? So, you have no conscience, no experience to draw from. So, the Bible says that once you are born, and you grew up and started becoming self-aware as a little child, that's the beginning of your existence. You can read in Revelation 12 that the fallen angels that followed Lucifer, one-third of these angels were cast out.
The Bible says man--in, where is it? In Hebrews, He made us a little lower than the angels. I think Hebrews is also quoting Psalms, when Paul writes that. So, yeah, I don't think we had a prior existence. The Bible really doesn't teach any kind of reincarnation, and we're not trying to work our way back to heaven. We're saved by grace. Jëan: Yeah, the verse you're referring to is Psalms 8, verse 5. And then Paul quotes in Hebrews chapter 2, verse 7, says that we are made lower than the angels. And, of course, when Adam and Eve were created in the very beginning, the Bible says that they were perfect. The Bible says everything was good, very good. So, they couldn't have been fallen angels. They were pure, they were holy, and it was through disobedience that they fell, and they were then removed from the garden. So, the angels that fell in heaven, that occurred before, because the devil appeared as a serpent in the garden of Eden, so that must have occurred before Adam and Eve were created.
Doug: Good point.
Jëan: All right, thank you, Joe. We've got Debra in California. Debra, welcome to the program.
Debra: Hey, could you explain Hebrews 6:4-6? That verse really--those verses really scare me.
Doug: Yeah, well, let me read that, and don't be scared. Of course, there is a sober warning there. But Hebrews chapter 6, verse 4, I'll start with. "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame." All right, let's first take this the way many people would see it on face value, thinking, does that mean that if somebody is saved, and they backslide, they can never return? Is that what you would be wondering when you first read this?
Debra: Yes, I thought that I'm doomed.
Doug: All right, well, can we think of anybody else in the Bible that backslid and came back? Did Peter deny Christ? Yeah. Did--Manasseh drifted from the Lord for years. Did Solomon--was Solomon filled with the Holy Spirit? And Solomon was obeying God, and Solomon loved the Lord, and then he fell away and married all these doubtful women, and they drew his heart away, but it says he returned to the Lord in his old age, and he writes the book of Ecclesiastes, a Spirit-filled book.
Jëan: And you've got the story of Samson, for example, many others.
Doug: Yeah, filled with the Holy Spirit. That's a good one. Samson, yeah, he really, he lived on the wild side there after being raised a Nazarite, and he's filled with the Holy Spirit and turns back to God. So, it must not mean that a backslider cannot return, because there's too many examples in the Bible of prodigal sons coming home. That's the whole parable of the prodigal son. It's dangerous to turn away from God, because you don't know if, you know, when fate might take you, and so you don't want to play Russian roulette with eternity and say, "Well, I'm going to live for the devil, and I'll turn back to God when I'm old." That's dangerous to think that way. But let's read this another way. "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away," meaning if they turn away from the best that God has to offer, "to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame," meaning that if a person is going to reject the best that God has, what more is God going to use to reach them? So, here it's saying that they're not interested. They have the best that God has, and they're not interested in that, but there's a lot of people clearly that have turned back. But what turns us back is the first thing. In Revelation, doesn't Jesus say to one of the churches, "I advise you to repent"? Now, why would He tell a church to repent unless they'd fallen away?
Jëan: Right.
Doug: So, he says, "Do the first works." He can't give them a better work. He wants them to do the first thing that brought them to Jesus, and they find their first love. So, I think it's saying, you know, "If you turn away from the best, if, you know, the sacrifice of Christ isn't enough, then what more is God going to do to reach you?
Jëan: I think the example you used, Pastor Doug, is probably one of the clearest, and that's the story, the parable of the prodigal son. Here we have someone who left his father's home, went and spent all of the money, and came to his senses, came with the spirit of repentance, and he was received by the father.
Doug: Yes, amen.
Jëan: All right, thank you, Debra. We've got Alex listening in Tennessee. Alex, welcome to the program.
Alex: Well, my question is based on Genesis chapter 6, verses 1 and 2. Let me read it to you really quick.
Doug: Yeah.
Alex: "When mankind began to multiply in the earth, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took any they chose as wives for themselves." Well, I wholeheartedly believe that these sons of God were descendants of Seth. But I know, Pastor Doug, you have debated other pastors, so I'm going to put myself in the middle of a debate here.
Doug: Yeah.
Alex: I've never really thought too much of why I believe that these sons of God were descendants of Seth. So, you know, many people believe that these could be fallen angels. So, what proof do we have against that?
Doug: Yeah, well, you would just have to ask the question, "Are there other places in the Bible where believers are called sons of God?" And you can look in 1 John chapter 3, verse 1, where the apostle says, "Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called sons of God. And to as many as believed in Him, to them He gave them power to be the sons," and I think he uses the word children of God. So, the descendants of Seth-- see, Adam and Eve had two kids. Of course, everyone knows Cain killed Abel. So then you've got the descendants of Cain and his wife. Cain took a sister. They moved away. They turned their back on God. They were called the children of men. And I think the word is enos, and it means mortals. They were dying. They did not have life. But Adam and Eve and Seth, they continued to offer sacrifice and to worship God. And even Jesus said to the religious leaders, they said, you know, "We're Abraham's children," and He said, "You're not the children of Abraham. You're the children of the devil."
So, the devil has children in Christ's time, and he had children in Cain's time. So, but when the sons of God began to intermarry with the daughters of Cain, the children of Seth began to--then they lost their holiness. It's like when Samson mixed up with Delilah, it's like when Solomon married the daughters of other kingdoms, they drew his heart away. God said to the children of Israel, "Do not go after unbelieving wives. They will turn your hearts away." And it's what Jezebel did to Ahab. Go through the whole Bible. It's a story of that. So, here in Genesis, it's establishing that. Now, some people say, "But it says if the children born to them were giants, they must be some kind of amalgamation of fallen angels, or demons, or whatever, aliens that married humans." I'd say where is another scripture in the Bible where you've got aliens and angels having intimate relations with humans? That's nowhere in the Bible. And the Bible said angels are spirits and so—
Jëan: And, of course, Jesus, Pastor Doug, said in Matthew 22, verse 30, angels neither marry nor are given in marriage.
Doug: Yeah.
Jëan: So, I mean, it's pretty clear.
Doug: So, Alex, I want to come back--we muted you while I was talking--but does that make sense?
Alex: Yes, but one thing now. So, yeah, Matthew 22 there, what you just read, Pastor Jëan. Now, it says angels don't marry, but does that mean they can't get married?
Jëan: Well, I think the point being is they can't procreate, and the Bible says that the sons of man took the daughters of--sons of God took the daughters of men, and there were giants born in the earth. So, clearly, it's referring to procreation there. Angels can't procreate.
Doug: And why would the angels--if humans are made lower than angels, first of all, there's nothing the Bible says they've got reproductive plumbing. But why would angels not want angel mates, if humans are lower than angels? Why would they be attracted to humans? I mean, wouldn't every man want to say his wife's an angel? Wouldn't it be a downgrade to go after humans and you could marry an angel? So, Pastor Ross is laughing. I used drugs when I was young--the way my mind works. So, hey, Alex, I do have a book on that. You may have already read it, but I would be happy to send you a copy. I think it's called, "Aliens, Adopted, or Angels?" And it says, "Who are the sons of God?" It's on that very passage.
Jëan: The number to call for that is 800-835-6747. Again, just ask for the book, "Who Are the Sons of God?" And we'll be happy to send that to you. You can also just dial #250 on your smartphone, and ask for "Bible Answers Live," and then ask for the book, "Who Are the Sons of God?" Next caller that we have is Junith, listening in Nevada. Junith, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."
Junith: Hello. A good, amazing evening to you both. Pastor Doug, and Pastor Jëan, can you hear me well?
Doug: We do. And your question tonight?
Junith: Yes, my question is related to Daniel chapter 7, verse 9. I'm just curious, what's your biblical perspective on the landing of the New Jerusalem millennium, post the second advent of Jesus Christ? Will there be burning wheels in the New Jerusalem?
Doug: You're asking about Daniel 7, verse 9. Oh, I see, yeah, yeah. Yeah, they're talking about the burning fire. Okay, I see, I get it. I thought maybe when you said burning wheels, you were thinking Ezekiel.
Junith: See, also Daniel 7, verse 9.
Doug: Right, I've got it open.
Junith: If you could describe that, too, that way. And the fact of the matter is that the supernatural nature of God is a consuming fire in Hebrews chapter 12, verse 20. And I was thinking, will the consuming fire presence of God ooze out of the New Jerusalem and have these wheels with all the burning fire? What do you think? How will the New Jerusalem land on planet earth post millennium?
Doug: We'll do our best to try and cover that briefly. You've asked, you know, a big question, and so it's hard in three or four minutes to give you a comprehensive answer on that. You do read in Revelation 21, John says, "I saw the New Jerusalem descending out of heaven." I don't think it's the descent of the New Jerusalem that burns up the wicked. I think that Christ appears in this great white throne judgment after the New Jerusalem descends, and every knee will bow before him. People's lives will pass before them. Paul says we must all stand before the judgment seat. When people see that they're judged according to their works, then God does His strange act, and the wicked are then cast into a lake of fire. When it says the wicked are destroyed by the brightness of His coming, that's before the thousand years. That's the next thing where Jesus comes. When the day of the Lord comes as a fiery flame, it tells us in 2 Peter chapter 3.
Jëan: I think specifically, what you're wondering about there in that verse 9, where it talks about God's throne, talks about His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels burning fire. I think the point that's been emphasized, if you read on through the next few verses, that there is movement that's described. This is taking place in heaven. There is a judgment scene, if you read down a little further, and there is movement. So, we find God the Father moving from one part of the sanctuary in heaven, from the Holy to the Most Holy place. And then we find in verse 13 one likened to the Son of Man. He was escorted with the clouds of heaven, the angels, and they brought him before the Ancient of Days. So, when it's talking about the wheels, doubtless, they're glorious and fiery, but it's describing the movement of God's throne from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place. Well, this judgment, that precedes the second coming of Christ.
Doug: Yeah, some people have read these verses in Daniel and Ezekiel, and they're sure that means it's a flying saucer He's coming in, because they see the wheels there, and I don't think that's what it's saying. Good, good answer. Thank you.
Jëan: All right, thanks Barb--Junith. The next caller is Barb, listening in Washington. Barb, welcome to the program.
Barb: Thank you. I was wondering what the eternal status is of the people that died in the flood.
Doug: Are you wondering--does that mean everybody that died in the flood, are they all lost?
Barb: Yes, that's what I want to know.
Doug: I don't think you can say that, because--yeah, well, Peter says in 2 Peter chapter 3, "Wherein eight souls were saved," meaning saved from the flood." But just suppose that there were some children that were watching Noah and his family build the ark, and maybe they're teenagers, and they thought, I believe Noah. I believe the world is evil. I want to be saved by God. I'd like to be on the ark." But their parents wouldn't let them. Well, they may have died in the flood because of their parent's bad decision, but they could still be in the kingdom. So, the majority of the people that were outside the ark, they certainly were lost, but there may have been some exceptions some young people that couldn't make their own decisions. Slaves that maybe weren't allowed to get on the ark.
Jëan: That's where God is to judge.
Doug: Yeah. Jëan: Yeah, He knows the heart. All right thanks Barb. We've got David listening in California. David, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."
David: Hi, thank you, brothers. My question is regarding the sixth commandment. God says, "Thou should not kill." Why was it permitted for the Israelites to kill the nations around them? Thank you.
Doug: Yeah, well, the commandment, some people are confused by this. You read it in King James, it says, "Thou shalt not kill." That word there in the original Hebrew--and it's quoted this way in the New Testament as the word murder, and murder means the unlawful taking of innocent life. Jesus, when He quotes the Ten Commandments in the New Testament, He says, "Thou shalt not murder." So, if you'd pull up a weed, technically, you're killing. If you swat a mosquito, you're killing, but it's not murder. You're never going to be incarcerated for killing a fly. But it is murder if you take an unlawful life. So, when soldiers go off to battle, and they fight to defend their country, they're not prosecuted as murderers, unless they're guilty of a war crime. So, when the children of Israel were told to go and fight and defend the country, that was not violating the sixth commandment that says, "Do not murder." And I know a lot of people just read it on the surface like that, and they think, "Well, killing is killing, isn't it?" Yeah, every time we breathe we're inhaling microbes that die. Murder is the unlawful taking of innocent life. Thank you very much, good question.
Jëan: All right, we've got Mitchell listening in Louisiana. Mitchell, welcome to the program.
Mitchell: Hey, good evening, Pastors. My question is about Revelation 8:1. "When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour." I would like to know, what is the significance about the silence, and was that actually--what is half an hour in heavenly time? Like, could you go into a little detail about that?
Doug: Well, we'll do our best, and I'll share a little. Pastor Ross may have some comments on this. In prophetic time, a day is a year. You see that in a number of places, in Ezekiel--in Numbers, it says, "I've appointed you one day for a year. Even Jesus told a prophecy, telling Herod, "I'm going to teach, do cures, cast out devils, today, tomorrow, and the third day I'll be perfected." He really taught for three years, not three days. So--and by the way, that's Luke 13. So, if a day is a year in prophetic time, then half a day--then, rather, yeah--he talks about the silence in heaven for an hour would be 15 days.
Jëan: Yeah, about 15 days.
Doug: Half an hour is 7. And this is why it doesn't say exactly half an hour. It says about half an hour. So, this would be seven days in prophetic time, which is a nice Bible number. The only reason it would be silent in heaven--I mean, don't angels constantly say, "Holy, Holy, holy"? And isn't there lots of activity and music in heaven? This is after Michael stands up and Christ comes to the world to redeem. The temple is empty in heaven because the High Priest has come. So, there's no intercession going on. Probation is closed. Jesus has come. And so this is talking about, I think, that time period.
Jëan: That's right. So, heaven is silent, because Christ and all the angels, they've come back to the earth. Some people wonder, "Well, does that mean that it takes three and a half days from heaven to earth, and then three and a half days to go back to heaven? Of course, we know angels can fly very quickly, so it doesn't have to take seven days to come, but it does appear that the joining back to heaven, when he comes and gathers the redeemed, and he takes us back to heaven, we don't rush to heaven right away. It seems as though these things that are revealed, things are understood, there's an experience getting to know people. The journey, the anticipation is growing, as we travel towards the golden city. But according to this verse, about half an hour, that's about seven days.
Doug: Yeah.
Jëan: Interesting question.
Doug: Good, we appreciate that. Thanks so much.
Jëan: We've got Becky listening in Indiana. Becky, welcome to the program.
Becky: Hello, thank you. I hope I can word this right.
Doug: Sure.
Becky: If we know that the 4th day is the Lord's Sabbath, and we keep it, why is it so wrong to worship on Sunday, and why would that be considered the mark of the beast? Thank you.
Doug: Now, you said, if we know the 4th day-- I think you meant fourth commandment.
Becky: Oh, fourth commandment, I'm sorry.
Doug: Yeah, I figured that's what you meant. So, yeah, first of all, I don't believe anyone has the mark of the beast now. People have wondered--are we saying that people who go to church on Sunday have the mark of the beast? No. There'll be coming a time when there is a law made compelling people to worship a way contrary to the Bible. And whenever we know what truth is, sin, the Bible says--not Pastor Doug or Pastor Ross--the Bible says sin is knowing to do good and not doing it. There'll be people in heaven that have too many wives, because they just didn't know. Everybody was doing it, and they thought it was okay. I know that's strange. There'll be people in heaven that had slaves, like Abraham. And that doesn't mean slavery is all right. If people do that today, we know better. We've learned the truth on those things.
And there's going to be people in heaven that went to church and worshipped God on the first day, or the third day, or some other day, because they just didn't know. But if you want to know what does the Bible say, there's no question the Bible says the seventh day is the Sabbath. And people will say, "Well, don't we keep the first day, Sunday, in honor of the resurrection?" I'd say, "Well, that sounds beautiful, but where is your Bible verse commanding us to keep the first day?" There is no Bible verse that commands us to change it from one day to another. And Pastor Ross and I have got a list of theologians from every denomination that freely admit there is no commandment in scripture telling us to worship on the first day for any reason. You know, people may say, "Well, it's a tradition." And that would be true. It is a tradition, but it's not a commandment. If you're going to go by the commandments, and I would think the commandments of God are pretty important, it says the seventh day, which is the same day Jesus kept, which is the day the disciples would not finish embalming His body, which is what we commonly call Saturday. So, what a person does with the truth is between them and God, but we're just here to tell you what the Bible actually says. Sometimes it's popular, and sometimes it's not. But we have a free lesson we'll be happy to send you, Becky, on that.
Jëan: That's right. The number to call for that is 800-835-6747. Ask for the study guide. It's called "The Lost Day of History." And it talks about this lost day people have forgotten about it, but it's in the Bible, and there is a great blessing in recognizing this part of the Ten Commandments, the fourth commandment.
Doug: Isn't there--we also have a book, it's called, "Is Sunday Sacred?" I think we've got a sermon. It used to be very popular. We haven't mentioned it lately, but we'd send you a free copy. Jëan: I think the name is "Is Sunday Really Sacred?" I think that was the title of the book. Doug: Yeah, we'll send that to you. Jëan: we'll send that to you. Just ask for it, or you can dial #250 on your phone and ask for the books or the resources. We'll be happy to send it to you. Doug: Do we have time for half a question? Jëan: Yeah, let's try real quick. We've got Carol in California. Carol, you've got less than a minute. Carol: Okay. Hi, pastors. Doug: Hi, thanks for calling. Carol: My question is I want to have a better understanding about the everlasting gospel. Is there any verse in the Bible that talks about or explains what the everlasting gospel is all about? Doug: Well, that's a great question to end this segment on. Well, first of all, John 3:16. The gospel does not really begin in the New Testament. The gospel begins in the Old Testament. That's why it's the everlasting gospel. "For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him might not perish but have everlasting life." And you can also see that in just the theme of Jesus being the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world mentioned in Revelation a couple of times, I think. So, the gospel, when Adam and Eve had their nakedness covered by the skins of a lamb, that was saying it was through the death of the Lamb they would be forgiven. We are forgiven by the death of God's Son, the Lamb of God. That gospel is from cover to cover in the Bible. That's what happened when Abraham brought Isaac up the mountain, his own son. Hey, friends, just in case you did not know, we sort of sign off in stereo. First, we say farewell to our friends on satellite. But stand by, everyone else. We're going to do some rapid fire Bible questions
Announcer: Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. "Bible Answers Live" is produced by Amazing Facts International, a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California.
Jëan: Hello, friends, and welcome back to "Bible Answers Live." We want to thank you for the email questions that you sent us, and if you'd like to email us your Bible question, it's BALquestions @amazingfacts.org. You know, Pastor Doug, we've got people listening not only here in the US and North America, but literally around the world-- now maybe not live. Some places they might be listening live. Others, it's a rebroadcast. So, we have some questions that come from folks all over the place. First of all, we've got somebody asking, Michael is asking from Australia, "Why don't we have the miracles happening today that happened back in Bible times?"
Doug: Yeah, well, there are still miracles today--I think I've witnessed some--but he's probably talking about some of these first class miracles like a dead person rising, though I have heard stories in the mission field of that happening. Or you know, the ocean, being parted, walking on water, miracles seem to come in waves. Even in the book of Judges, Gideon, Gideon, way back before Elijah and Jesus, Gideon said to the angel, "What happened to all the miracles we used to hear about during the Exodus?" So, clearly, they came in waves in history, and we will see, I think, a lot of miracles in the last days just before Jesus returns.
Jëan: Okay, another question, also from down under, so to speak, we've got Nikita from New Zealand, and she's asking, "How do we speak the truth, as Christians, when we are called hateful by others in society for speaking the Bible, teaching the Bible?
Doug: Well, Jesus said, "Don't be discouraged if you're persecuted for righteousness." I mean, they told Jesus that He was evil. They said, "You're casting out devils by the prince of devils." They called Him demon-possessed, but He confronted them for their sin, and there is a time for Christians to lovingly rebuke and admonish sin, and the culture is never going to like that. Jesus said, "If the world hated me, it's going to hate you."
Jëan: Okay, very good. We've got Jody is asking, "Can you please explain what it means that we were created in God's image and yet we know Eve was created from the rib of Adam?"
Doug: Well, both Adam and Eve, it says, "Male and female He made them in the image of God." So, it's not just man or males that were made in the image of God, but males and females. Then, of course, today, we need to emphasize they are completely distinct. The world is trying to morph and meld genders. God made them clearly two distinct genders, and He has not changed His mind, but both are made in the image of God. And if you think if, you know, if Adam was made in the image of God, and Eve is made from Adam, then they're both made in the image of God. Hopefully, that helps, friends. We want to live in a way to reflect that image in our lives. God bless you. We look forward to studying with you again next week. Thank you for doing what you can to keep us on the air.
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